Echolocation
by DauntlessFlame
Summary: Join Batkit as she hunts for the way to be the best warrior ThunderClan has ever seen. She is small, but her courage is vast. Despite her fight to maintain a peace, trouble stirs as a mysterious kit is born. Evil trails her like a shadow, just a step behind as she makes her path to greatness...


"Batkit!"

The small black she-kit turned toward her mother, whisking her tail ungracefully behind her. Her yellow eyes found the mottled dark gray she-cat sitting outside the nursery. Sighing, she trotted over to Smallflower. "What do you want?" she wanted to ask, but didn't dare. Smallflower was already antsy about her soon apprenticeship. Bad attitude would not be good for Batkit's reputation. "Yes, Mother?" she piped.

"My darling, your father and I believe you should wait a few more days before becoming an apprentice. Tomorrow is too soon. I am telling you this now, so that you know," Smallflower meowed gently. Her dark-gray tipped tail flicked uncomfortably.

_I am not going to grow anymore in a few more days_, Batkit thought crossly. Just because she was small didn't mean Smallflower had the right to interfere with her becoming a warrior! Just because Smallflower's mother held her back a whole _moon_ extra before her apprenticeship didn't mean Batkit had to as well! Smallflower thought a few days extra wait was a deal instead of a moon. "Are you saying Frostkit will beat me?"

Smallflower blinked, as if she hadn't considered it. "Your brother will become an apprentice tomorrow," she announced, narrowing her green eyes. "But don't worry," Smallflower meowed quickly, "you'll become warriors together. I have Icestar's word."

And _that_ sounded reassuring. The chance of that happening was as much as a rabbit can turn into a mouse. Batkit muttered pointedly, "I am small! But I am no less than you! My short legs will grow and my tail will lengthen! I _will_ be a warrior!"

Outraged by her sudden outburst, Smallflower growled. "You will wait, Batkit. You do _not_ talk down to your mother. I make the rules around here and you obey them."

Batkit's pelt burned with fury. She indignantly remained silent as Nightblaze's tail brushed her shoulder. Her father sat beside Batkit, his yellow eyes looking straight into her mother's. Batkit's pelt would blend in with her father's, if not for the darker tint in his.

Nightblaze was alright to be around, less protective than Smallflower—who anxiously tried to be like _her_ mother. Batkit's father was often quiet, but gentle. But it was his brother Blackfire who put the liveliness in her life. He was always cheery and when he wasn't—well, that's just it, he never wasn't cheery, he always was positive. Blackfire had that sense of humor that anyone could listen to. He wasn't obnoxious or bothersome, but soothing and optimistic.

"Be kind," Nightblaze whispered in her ear. As if he didn't think Smallflower was being overprotective. They both knew she was.

She sighed, fluffing out her black pelt. "I _will_ become a warrior, Mother. Sooner than you think." Behind Batkit's weak promise, she realized that Smallflower had offended her purposely. Not only did the queen want to follow her mother's pawsteps, but completely rid Batkit of being with her brother. How shameful.

Batkit didn't wait for dismissal, she just go up and left. She needed to let of some steam and being by her parents wasn't going to help. They'd find a someway to further delay her apprenticeship even longer. Her behavior didn't make the cut for the polite, no-questioning, respectful she-cat they'd hoped she'd be. How wrong they were.

"Hey, Shorty!"

She whipped her head toward the voice, curling her lip. "Try me," she spat, her tiny claws poking out of their sheath. Her brother's friend, Ashkit, a thick-furred gray tom, stood with a sly look on his face. He was older and had no reason to still be in the nursery—if not for the fact of his punishment for sneaking out. Icestar had nearly beaten his sorry tail. It wasn't quite the usual sneak out, but the one where he _crosses Clan border and aimlessly tries to attack a warrior. _Ashkit was so blind. His father was Icestar!

"You are short, Shorty. Sorry if the _truth _hurts more than _lies._ Would you prefer I be dishonest and call you Tall-One?" Ashkit purred. He absentmindedly circled her, his amber eyes speculating. "I am known for my honesty, Batkit."

Batkit felt rather short-tempered now. _Great, _she thought irritably, _another thing to relate me to short!_ "Leave me alone, Ashkit," Batkit muttered, aggravated.

Ashkit curled his lip and crouched low, his tail waving behind him. The gray tom clearly belonged in the apprentice den. If not for his stubborn father he'd have better things to do than pester Batkit. He placed a heavy paw forward, barely a mouse-length away from the black kit.

The small she-cat struck a position of defense, her tail raised high behind her. She barred her fangs, digging her claws in the soft dirt. Her heart pounded, but Batkit was determined to appear unafraid. She would prove Smallflower she was worthy of becoming an apprentice. _If I could become an apprentice before this fox-heart . . . that would save me a lot of trouble later. _Biting back a snicker, she waited for the gray tom to make the first move.

She never saw his lung coming. The air was knocked out of her before she could react. Being sent flying, she staggered to her paws a good tail-length or so away from Ashkit. The black she-cat shook her pelt, coughing up dirt.

Ashkit rushed over to Batkit, looming above her in an awkward manner. Using a powerful paw, he pushed her down, pinning her to the earth. He leaned down close, so close Batkit was in fear of _touching_ his face. "If I wait, you wait," he growled in a low voice. "Don't complain about your _few days_."

Rage built up in the black she-cat. She hissed furiously. "_I_ didn't attack a ShadowClan patrol!" she spat. "_I_ didn't go sneaking out of camp! _I _didn't make you wait!"

"Ashkit, lay off."

The gray tom looked up from the small she-cat. Batkit recognized her brother's voice. She let out an ungrateful sigh, willing Frostkit not to launch into one of his famous lectures. She sat up, giving her chest fur a quick lick. She flicked her ear uncomfortably.

"I didn't hurt her," Ashkit grumbled, flashing the black she-cat a glare. "We were just messing around, isn't that right, Batkit?"

She flattened her ears. "Leave me alone, Ashkit," she growled. Batkit hated it when Frostkit had to rescue her. She hated being seen weak. It wasn't in her nature to be the one to back down—but being taken down by Ashkit was no common scenario. The bigger kit wouldn't be seen so much as a threat to her to her Clanmates, instead as a flirtatious move. Batkit's Clanmates didn't know the first thing about kit-hood. They just assumed that each should be kits for as long as possible—using excuses like smallness against them. That filled her with rage.

Frostkit turned to his sister. "Batkit, find something else to do. Go talk to Milkkit or something. Don't be a pest." The white tom gestured for her to leave, standing tall as if he were a warrior commanding a bothersome kit—not his littermate.

Batkit curled her claws into the dirt. "I can do what I want, Frostkit! You aren't my mentor!" she spat, her temper surfacing. Her black ear-tips felt hot. There was no comfort to rescue her from anywhere. There was no one who was going to tell her that _everything is okay_. She didn't need it anyway. Batkit knew that if she wanted to ever reach warriorhood, she'd have to overcome being left alone.

Her brother blinked in surprise, taking a step back. The white tom wasn't used to being talked back to—he was used to the simple '_yes, Frostkit'_ or the hesitant '_okay'. _But Batkit was sick of it and she wasn't afraid to show it. She sat down, feeling proud of herself.

"Looks like _someone_ doesn't like her punishment," Ashkit scorned. The gray tom flicked his tail-tip, watching her intently.

Frostkit looked at her with disappointment. "I am becoming an apprentice tomorrow, Batkit. Treat me with more respect!" he huffed. The white tom fluffed out his fur, turning back to Ashkit. "Let's find somewhere else to practice our hunting crouch." He talked to Ashkit as if he had never hurt her, as if _he_ were Frostkit's sibling and Batkit was the naughty kit who snuck out of camp.

"You are despicable!" she hissed after them, watching in envy. Why did Ashkit earn her brother's friendship? Why did everyone treat her like she was fragile and unworthy? It simply wasn't fair.

A familiar and welcome scent drafted over her. She closed her eyes, feeling Blackfire's fur brush hers as he sat down next to her. "Are you excited to be an apprentice tomorrow?" he asked, glancing at her unhappy face. He touched his tail to her flank.

"I'm not becoming one," she muttered shortly. Rage fired up in her again, but she bit back her tongue, afraid to let it go. Batkit looked away.

Blackfire purred warmly. He flicked an ear. "That's not true," he purred. "You're becoming one tomorrow, with Frostkit." This was comforting, sure, but it didn't change the fact that Smallflower would never go easy on her. Her mother just _assumed_ that Batkit wasn't ready. But she wanted more than ever to prove her wrong.

She shook her head. "Smallflower is making me wait a few more days," she meowed quietly, "just like _she_ waited a moon." Batkit wondered what Blackfire would say. It didn't seem like _anything_ could possibly make her day better. But Blackfire always found a way . . .

"I talked to Icestar and he agreed that you should become an apprentice with your brother. He has three of his own siblings, so he can relate. Did you know he was a runt? That _I _was the runt of my family?"

Batkit looked up at him with surprise. "_You_ were the runt? Why wasn't Mistywing? She's small too."

He twitched his whiskers with amusement. "Mistywing had a lively spirit that nothing could change. At the time, she was bigger than me—not so much physically, but intelligence wise, yes." Blackfire twitched his tail, watching her reaction. "Oh, but I grew. Once I was an apprentice, I passed Mistywing in height. But it isn't our size that matters, Batkit. It is the _heart._"

She growled. "Smallflower doesn't have any right to make me wait!" she declared, leaping to her paws. "I will show her! I'll be the best apprentice!"

Blackfire rose to stand beside her. "I won't stop you," he muttered, "but be kind to your mother. She loves you. She only wants what she thinks is best."

"Sometimes enough is enough!" Batkit hissed, seething in anger. "Smallflower will regret ever hoping to make me wait!"

_I'll show them! I'll be the best apprentice ThunderClan has ever seen!_ she thought confidently. _After all, Blackfire said it is the _heart_ that matters. _


End file.
